On International Women's Day, it has been announced the government has pledged to ensure all girls can play football in school, but now we need to see it happen.
Agree that this new commitment is very welcome and needed - but I do have doubts as to how practical this will be to actually deliver - my daughter's school couldn't support the big Let Girls Play event due to lack of cover and teachers for example. This is the first part of the journey and is to be welcomed - the next is to build up and enhance the pathway and academy systems for girls too.
The recent changes announced by the FA - creating ETC's across the country is a great help for grassroots and wider access, but looks like it is actually reducing and diluting the offer for talented players already in RTC's to continue with the new academy (PGAs) system - it is interesting - and worrying - to see how little info or detail has been provided by many clubs about what they will do and offer next season in this space except for the largest and best funded clubs. Several RTC's are either finishing or converting to ETC's moving forward - which will mean that there is a group of players (current U12/U14) that will lose or have much less access and opportunity to play at a high level then they do currently.
Agree that this new commitment is very welcome and needed - but I do have doubts as to how practical this will be to actually deliver - my daughter's school couldn't support the big Let Girls Play event due to lack of cover and teachers for example. This is the first part of the journey and is to be welcomed - the next is to build up and enhance the pathway and academy systems for girls too.
The recent changes announced by the FA - creating ETC's across the country is a great help for grassroots and wider access, but looks like it is actually reducing and diluting the offer for talented players already in RTC's to continue with the new academy (PGAs) system - it is interesting - and worrying - to see how little info or detail has been provided by many clubs about what they will do and offer next season in this space except for the largest and best funded clubs. Several RTC's are either finishing or converting to ETC's moving forward - which will mean that there is a group of players (current U12/U14) that will lose or have much less access and opportunity to play at a high level then they do currently.